Onimusha: Way of the Sword S-Tier Weapons & Upgrades

What makes S-tier

S-tier means compounding value, not raw stats

In Onimusha: Way of the Sword, S-tier is not a list of weapons with the biggest numbers — it is the set of investments that keep paying you back for the entire run. Two things sit at the top: the Oni Gauntlet, because it is the only tool that absorbs souls and powers Awakenings, and permanent katana damage upgrades, because every red soul spent there raises every hit you land from the prologue to the final boss.

Everything below S-tier is situational by comparison. A-tier picks like Oni Armaments are strong and flexible but cost blue souls per use; B-tier tools answer specific fights; C-tier options are beginner comfort picks you outgrow once the Issen timing clicks.

Red soul priority

The correct upgrade order

Red souls are the permanent upgrade currency, and the order you spend them matters more than the total you earn. The demo's third hands-on session confirmed an upgrade system spanning skills, armor and weapons, and post-launch testing has settled the priority.

• 1. Katana damage upgrades — compounding value, best damage per red soul in the game.
• 2. Core combat skills — Blazing State first, then Chain Issen and Deflect (see the early-weapon page).
• 3. Oni Armament levels — require red souls plus Oni Stones found across Kyoto.
• 4. Awakening upgrades — extend and empower your Oni Awakening windows.
• Never: one-time consumables — the worst red-soul value at any stage.

Series context

Unique elemental weapons, not reskins

Longtime fans wanted Way of the Sword to follow the first three games — a small set of unique elemental weapons with their own moves — rather than the mass of same-model reskins in Dawn of Dreams. Names like Raizan, Buraitou, Shippu, Enryuu and Rekka-ken carry that legacy.

The released game answers that wish in spirit: the katana is a permanent, upgradeable foundation, and the elemental flavor lives in the Oni Armaments — distinct summoned weapons like Wind-Whipper, Earth-Shakers and The Flashing Void with their own effects and charge behaviors. Note that the Raizan and Enryuu sold in the Deluxe Kit are appearance skins only, not playable elemental weapons.

Proving it

Where the upgrade system shows its value

The upgrade tracks were first publicly demonstrated in the third demo session, which paired the skills/armor/weapons upgrade system with two boss fights — Daidara and Byakue. Bosses are where S-tier investments separate themselves: Break Damage from a leveled Earth-Shakers shortens the road to a Break Issen, and katana damage decides how punishing each opening is.

If you want to feel the difference a red-soul order makes, fight a boss before and after a katana damage level — the compounding effect is visible immediately, and it only widens as Carnage difficulty and New Game Plus raise enemy health pools.